The skin is constantly exposed to various types of chemical stresses that challenge the immune cells, leading to the activation of T cell-mediated
hypersensitivity reactions including
atopic dermatitis. Previous studies have demonstrated that a variety of natural compounds are effective against development of
atopic dermatitis by modulating immune responses.
Cardamonin is a natural compound abundantly found in cardamom spices and many other medicinal plant species. In the present study, we attempted to examine whether
cardamonin could inhibit
oxazolone-induced
atopic dermatitis in vivo. Our results show that topical application of
cardamonin onto the ear of mice suppressed
oxazolone-induced
inflammation in the ear and
hyperplasia in the spleen.
Cardamonin also inhibited
oxazolone-induced destruction of connective tissues and subsequent infiltration of mast cells into the skin. In addition, we found that the production of Th2
cytokines is negatively regulated by NRF2, and the induction of NRF2 by
cardamonin contributed to suppressing
oxazolone-induced Th2
cytokine production and oxidative damages in vivo. Together, our results demonstrate that
cardamonin is a promising natural compound, which might be effective for treatment of
atopic dermatitis.